External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said the era of "uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over", adding that "India will react" to what he suggested are "actions" of the neighbouring country that have "consequences".
Speaking at a book launch event in Delhi, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said India is not "passive" when it comes to the kind of relationship it can contemplate with Pakistan.
"The era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over. Actions have consequences. So far as J&K is concerned, Article 370 is done. So, the issue is what kind of relationship we can contemplate with Pakistan...What I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or a negative direction, either way, we will react...," Jaishankar said.
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Jaishankar added that "neighbours are always a conundrum".
"Tell me which country is there that doesn't have challenges with neighbours," Jaishnkar said.
India and Pakistan have a long history of strained relations, primarily due to the Kashmir issue as well as the cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
Speaking on Maldives, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said there have been ups and downs in India's approach to the former, adding that "there is a certain lack of consistency here."
"It is a relationship in which we are very deeply invested and there is a recognition in the Maldives that this relationship is a steady force when they are getting into choppy waters where their own prospects are concerned as far as economic challenges," Jaishankar said.
About Bangladesh, Jaishankar said "it is natural" India will deal with the government of the day. "We have to recognise that there have been political changes and they can be disruptive. Clearly, here we have to look for mutuality of interest," Jaishankar said.
